Interactions of Zircaloy cladding with gallium: 1998 midyear status Metadata

Title

• Main Title Interactions of Zircaloy cladding with gallium: 1998 midyear status

Creator

• Author: Wilson, D. F.
  Creator Type: Personal
• Author: DiStefano, J. R.
  Creator Type: Personal
• Author: Strizak, J. P.
  Creator Type: Personal
• Author: King, J. F.
  Creator Type: Personal
• Author: Manneschmidt, E. T.
  Creator Type: Personal

Contributor

• Sponsor: United States. Department of Energy.
  Contributor Type: Organization
• Sponsor: United States. Department of Energy. Office of Fissile Materials Disposition.
  Contributor Type: Organization

Publisher

• Name: Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Metals and Ceramics Division.
  Place of Publication: Tennessee
  Additional Info: Oak Ridge National Lab., Metals and Ceramics Div., TN (United States)

Date

• Creation: 1998-06-01

Language

• English

Description

• Content Description: A program has been implemented to evaluate the effect of gallium in mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel derived from weapons-grade (WG) plutonium on Zircaloy cladding performance. The objective is to demonstrate that low levels of gallium will not compromise the performance of the MOX fuel system in a light-water reactor. The graded, four-phase experimental program was designed to evaluate the performance of prototypic Zircaloy cladding materials against (1) liquid gallium (Phase 1), (2) various concentrations of Ga{sub 2}O{sub 3} (Phase 2), (3) centrally heated surrogate fuel pellets with expected levels of gallium (Phase 3), and (4) centrally heated prototypic MOX fuel pellets (Phase 4). This status report describes the results of a series of tests for Phases 1 and 2. Three types of tests are being performed: (1) corrosion, (2) liquid metal embrittlement, and (3) corrosion-mechanical. These tests will determine corrosion mechanisms, thresholds for temperature and concentration of gallium that may delineate behavioral regimes, and changes in the mechanical properties of Zircaloy. Initial results have generally been favorable for the use of WG-MOX fuel. The MOX fuel cladding, Zircaloy, does react with gallium to form intermetallic compounds at {ge}300 C; however, this reaction is limited by the mass of gallium and is therefore not expected to be significant with a low level (parts per million) of gallium in the MOX fuel. Although continued migration of gallium into the initially formed intermetallic compound can result in large stresses that may lead to distortion, this was shown to be extremely unlikely because of the low mass of gallium or gallium oxide present and expected clad temperatures below 400 C. Furthermore, no evidence for grain boundary penetration by gallium has been observed.
• Physical Description: 43 p.

Subject

• Keyword: Corrosion
• Keyword: Fuel-Cladding Interactions
• Keyword: Mechanical Properties
• Keyword: Gallium
• Keyword: Embrittlement
• Keyword: Metallurgical Effects
• Keyword: Water Cooled Reactors
• STI Subject Categories: 36 Materials Science
• Keyword: Mixed Oxide Fuels
• Keyword: Zircaloy
• Keyword: Fuel Cans
• STI Subject Categories: 21 Nuclear Power Reactors And Associated Plants
• Keyword: Compatibility

Source

• Other Information: PBD: Jun 1998

Collection

• Name: Office of Scientific & Technical Information Technical Reports
  Code: OSTI

Institution

• Name: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
  Code: UNTGD

Resource Type

• Report

Format

• Text

Identifier

• Other: DE98058149
• Report No.: ORNL/TM--13625
• Grant Number: AC05-96OR22464
• DOI: 10.2172/663271
• Office of Scientific & Technical Information Report Number: 663271
• Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metadc704456

Note

• Display Note: INIS; OSTI as DE98058149